Applications of Polarization

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Polarization has a wealth of other

applications besides their use in glare-
reducing sunglasses.
In industry, Polaroid filters are used to
perform stress analysis tests on transparent
plastics. As light passes through a plastic,
each color of visible light is polarized with its
own orientation. If such a plastic is placed
between two polarizing plates, a colorful
pattern is revealed. As the top plate is turned,
the color pattern changes as new colors
become blocked and the formerly blocked
Applications of Polarization
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A common Physics demonstration involves
placing a plastic protractor between two
Polaroid plates and placing them on top of an
overhead projector. It is known that structural
stress in plastic is signified at locations where
there is a large concentration of colored
bands. This location of stress is usually the
location where structural failure will most
likely occur. Perhaps you wish that a more
careful stress analysis were performed on the
plastic case of the CD that you recently
purchased.
 Applications of Polarization
Polarization is also used in the entertainment
industry to produce and show 3-D movies.
Three-dimensional movies are actually two
movies being shown at the same time through
two projectors.
The two movies are
filmed from two slightly
different camera locations.
Each individual movie is
then projected from
different sides of the
audience onto a metal
screen.
 Applications of Polarization
The polarizing filter used for the projector on
the left may have its polarization axis aligned
horizontally while the polarizing filter used for
the projector on the right would have its
polarization axis aligned vertically.
Consequently, there are two slightly different
movies being projected onto a screen. Each
movie is cast by light that is polarized with an
orientation perpendicular to the other movie.
The audience then wears glasses that have two
Polaroid filters. Each filter has a different
polarization axis - one is horizontal and the
other is vertical.
 Applications of Polarization
The movies are projected through a polarizing
filter.
The result of this arrangement of projectors and
filters is that the left eye sees the movie that is
projected from the right projector while the right
eye sees the movie that is projected from the
left projector. This gives the viewer a perception
of depth.